It’s been a little while since I have sat down and written my thoughts down on paper. There are a lot of them recently and I am afraid that if I do not journal them, then I might forget them in my
“Old Age”. One of the best experiences of the past few months was my trip home to Cincinnati to spend time with my Mom. She had knee replacement surgery on October 13th and I must admit that I was a little bit terrified about the prospect of her going under a general anesthesia at the age of 81 years old. Not to mention, I was scared witless (but I really mean sh$$less) about the fact that she has a history of aterial defibrillation which has not always acted well under stressful conditions. Well, worry not, my friends. Sally came through with glowing reports from her incredible surgeon and I was soon back in Ohio helping her rehab from the event. She was such a fantastic patient for me and we honestly had a great time together doing PT exercises and just taking naps together in my bedroom- Yes, the bedroom where I grew up sleeping as a child. It is special to come home and really, truly come HOME! To my bedroom, in my house, with my yard and my trees that I climbed as a child. It is really the same as it was almost 47 years ago when I entered this world and came home to that house for the first time. So, it was a great trip home. Mom is now back doing everything she did before surgery and more. And, she’s doing it 100% better with that right knee, I might add.
A few days after Mom had surgery, I was in Tempe, Arizona racing Ironman Arizona 70.3. I signed up to be with my friend and athlete, Deb. We both wanted to finish our season with a fall race because back in May we had a horrible bike crash (together!!) Neither of us was in very good shape after the fact and we were both pretty sure our seasons were tossed out the window. Deb suffered a concussion and a broken collar bone. I picked myself up off the road to give her first aid and call 911 for help only to realize after the shock wore off that my left shoulder was pretty useless and in a hell of a lot of pain. Long story short, we recovered. My left shoulder was separated and I was fuzzy in the head for a bit. But, luckily, I was still able to race all of my events this season. The June races were a little sketchy as I did not have full use of my shoulder. But, they got done and I had fun- grateful that I could be at the start line. Deb had a longer recovery and faced some challenges during the summer but being the strong and incredible lady she is, Deb was at the start line in Arizona ready for a fun day. It ended up being a wonderful experience for both of us- mostly for the friendship and fun we had together. But, also, because I was relaxed and ready to race and enjoy myself. And, guess what? That turns out to be the key to my success. Relax, have fun, no pressure on myself and wait….what??…. I qualify for Ironman 70.3 World Championships! What. The. Heck. Best end of the season race ever. I think we even drank wine the night before……???
Okay, so let’s talk November and December. I love the holidays and it gets really exciting around here with three boys during the Christmas holiday. I’ve been nursing a bum foot for the past few months and trying to figure out my next steps with that. I am going the conservative route to try to run without pain while avoiding surgery and a 10 week recovery. New orthotics, taping and prolotherapy seem to be on the agenda for me in the next month. We will see how this plays out and I will hope for the best. There is never a good time for foot surgery and this year is definitely not any better for it. So, I am hoping to work through it in a safe and conservative manner which will enable me to train well and without an issue with that foot so I can make it to the start line of my races in good shape! I will update as things progress!
In the meantime, we are all enjoying a lot of holiday cheer and focusing on all of the blessings we have together at the Culligan house. Happy holidays to all of you and best wishes for much joy and peace!!
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